Swept Under The Rug
by Arnold's Crush
Summary: From home to school,things have changed for 13-year old Helga Pataki.What she doesn't realize is things are about to change even more....*R&R Please!!!*~FINAL CHAPTER NOW UP!~
1. Helga's Story

"Swept Under The Rug"-A Hey Arnold!Story  
  
by Angela Marcisak  
  
  
DISCLAIMER:(You know the drill!)I do not own Hey Arnold,and have nothing to do with owning it!This is just a harmless fanfic written by me,a harmless obsessed fan,so please,don't sue me!  
  
  
  
CHAPTER ONE-Helga's Story  
  
  
  
Helga stood,leaning against the wall at the doorway of the trophy room.It made her sick as a dog to see Olga again.Olga,who had just returned from Alaska to share her greetings with Bob,Miriam,and even Helga herself.The whole 'bonding' thing hadn't exactly worked out the last time she had visited,so being the perfect sister that she was,Olga had returned for another try.  
  
Helga watched on as her sister stood at the foot of her trophy collection,and Bob and Miriam were swooning,as usual,over how spectacular their daughter was.No,not Helga,doi!It was always about Olga.Olga,Olga,Olga.That's all she had ever heard in her short life.She had longed to hear them swoon over 'Helga' sometimes,but she knew it to be nothing but a fantasy.She let out a hopeless sigh as she headed up the stairs to her room.  
  
"Helga,where are you going,baby sister?"Olga sweetly sounded after her.Her voice was so sickingly perfect,it wanted to make Helga puke right then and there."I was going to perform Fur Elise,wouldn't you like to come and watch me play?"Helga clutched her stomach,the only thing that was stopping her from vomiting all over the steps."Olga!Don't call me baby sister anymore!For cryin' out loud,I'm 13 years old,and you're still treating me like I'm some sort of a toddler!"Helga yelled after her.She pulled open the bedroom door and slammed it behind her.  
  
Helga walked over to her bed and flopped down on it.Her room wasn't pink anymore like it used to be.Instead,her walls were covered with photos of her and Phoebe,and pin-ups of her favorite band,Savage Garden.Surprisingly,she and Phoebe were still friends after all those years.Helga could still remember when she was 9.She had Phoebe trained like a Saint Bernard,and even Phoebe knew it was so.After she had turned 10,Helga decided it was time for her to change.And so it did.The bossiness had ended.  
  
Helga stared up at the ceiling for a few moments,then rolled off her bed and walked over to her closet.She opened the door and walked to the back.The back of the closet was no longer occupied by her shrine to Arnold.Instead,there stood a small clear area with a mirror and some books,in which Helga called her 'thinking spot'.Believe it or not,Helga had gotten over her love for Arnold.She thought it to be silly to love someone so much and vow to never tell.Besides,she knew no one could ever love her anyways.Especially not Arnold,after all the years she had treated him like the dirt she walked on,she knew he could never love her.  
  
She pulled out a comb and ran it through her dark pink hair.Ever since she had gotten it cut to her ears and dyed fuchsia,she noticed her family had seemed to hate her more than they already did.Except Olga.No,Olga was too much of a ditz to even care about her sister's hair.Even the kids at PS 118 really didn't seem to notice Helga anymore.Now that she was in 8th grade,she seemed to lose her 'bullyishness',if there is such a word,and that caused her conscience to be trampled flat.Not even Arnold could recognize her anymore,despite the pink hair and the clipped eyebrow which used to so much resemble a 'hairy caterpillar',as Harold once put it.She would always go to the local café to read her written poetry to the public.Arnold would sometimes go there and listen to Helga recite her poems,so Helga found it best that she never read the ones containing the word'Arnold' in them.This kept Arnold wondering who in the world she would write about that way,and Arnold's being puzzled always entertained her,for she knew he wouldn't ever find out her secret love for him.  
  
  
On the other hand,Helga longed for Arnold to know her deepest desire for him.It was such a pain for her to obsess day and night,and never have the humanly nerve to tell it to his face,that she loved Arnold.She wanted to tell the whole world that she loved Arnold!But she was afraid.Afraid her heart would be broken and that Arnold would not love her back.Sure,she had supposedly gotten over Arnold,thrown away the shrines and boxed up the pink books.But it wasn't true.She hadn't gotten over Arnold after all,no matter how much she had tried,she just couldn't.What could she say?It was just nature.  
  
  
Helga lifted her hand and began to write in another one of her many poetry books.This time,it was a purple one.I guess pink isn't for me anymore,she thought to herself,smiling.The only reason she had dyed her hair in the first place was for Arnold.She had outgrown the concept of wearing a pink bow,so pink hair was the only reminder of that rainy preschool day long ago,when Arnold had complimented Helga on her bow.Ever since then,she vowed to herself that there had to be at least one pink article of clothing,or in this case,hair,at all times.On the other hand,Arnold wore the same outfit and blue hat every day to school,and wherever he went.What could he say?It was just nature as well.  
  
  
Helga let out a long yawn and closed her book of poems.It had been a long day,between her parents obsessing over Olga as usual and...well.....it was just a long day.Helga stood up and reached up to a shelf high up in her closet.She didn't reach it."Criminey!"Helga scowled to herself."I just went through a major growth spurt and I'm still not tall enough!"She pulled up a stool and stepped up.Looking at the shelf from eye level,Helga spotted a grey stuffed figure flopped on its surface.She grabbed the object and blew off the gray coating of dust.She let out a small gasp as she realized the object was no more than her beloved Arnold doll she had since she was eight years old.Man...Helga thought to herself,It's been so long since I last saw this...She grabbed the doll and stepped out of the closet,shaking off any remains of dust and loose threads.Letting out another yawn,she looked outside and saw that it was nighttime.I better hit the sack,it's been a long day...Helga pulled open the covers to her bed and got in.Embracing her beloved Arnold doll,she fell fast asleep.  
  
  
Meanwhile,outside her bedroom window,stood Arnold,standing next to a dimly lit lamp post.He stared at her for a few moments,and with a small half-grin,he headed back to the Sunset Arms.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Well,that's all for now,folks!I do have school,you know.... ^_^ I'll be sure to post the next chapter as soon as I can,so please be patient!Also,if you read this story,make sure you leave a review and let me know what you think.This is my third fanfic(and my best,because I hated the others ^_^)so I will try to continue this as soon as I can.Thanks!Also,please forgive me if this format of my story comes out screwed.Thanks!  
  
~Angela~  
  
  
  
  



	2. A Day At School

Swept Under The Rug  
by Angela Marcisak  
  
  
  
DISCLAIMER:(You know the drill!)I do not own Hey Arnold,and have nothing to do with owning it!This is just a harmless fanfic written by me,a harmless obsessed fan,so please,don't sue me!  
  
  
  
CHAPTER 2- A Day At School  
  
  
"Brinnnggggg!"the alarm clock merrily chimed.Helga awoke with a groggy groan and knocked it clear off of the nightstand."Man,what a dream...."she said to herself.Glancing at the half-broken digital clock she had sent flying,it read "9:30 AM"and soon after,its light had slowly faded."Criminey!I'm an hour late!"Helga yelled to herself.She threw on her usual clothes and coated her fuchsia hair with a thin layer of hair spray.As soon as she had grabbed her bookbag,Helga yanked open the door and dashed downstairs."Helga,dear...you forgot your lunch...."Miriam groggily replied,holding up a lunchbox filled with no more than a piece of bread and an individual packet of jelly.Helga eyed the contents unhappily and remarked,"Uh...no thanks Mom,I'm...not hungry."She knew it herself that she was hungry,but not hungry enough to eat something that showed off a light shade of green."But Helg--"Before Miriam could finish,Helga headed straight out the door and on her way to school.  
  
As soon as she arrived in Mr. Rydell's class,Helga noticed a large amount of chatter coming from a small group of kids across the room.She walked over to the crowd and tapped Arnold on the shoulder."Hey Arnold,"Helga whispered,"What's going on?"Arnold eyed Helga strangely after she had said this.What gives?Helga thought.Arnold never stares at someone like that...in fact,I don't think I've ever seen him give me that look before...."Uh...is there something wrong?"Helga asked.Arnold continued to stare at her a few moments,then turned his back to her and faced the group.Arnold's acting very strange today....Helga thought.She went over to her desk and sat down.  
  
  
"Okay,class,take out a paper,it's time for the pop quiz!"Mr. Rydell beamed.The class groaned unhappily in response.Mr. Rydell was always famous for giving pop quizzes every Friday.Not that it exactly made him popular.He was a pretty nice teacher,and Helga was always puzzled by how he could put up with such a dim-witted group of kids every weekday.This guy must have a lot of patience!Helga thought to herself,smiling.She knew someone had to have a lot of patience to put up with Stinky,Sid,Harold,Curly,and all the other kids that had followed her ever since 4th grade.Nevertheless,she knew Arnold hadn't changed,and certainly hadn't turned dim-witted.He was the smartest person she knew besides Phoebe.  
  
Helga pulled out a fresh clean sheet of filler paper from her brand-new notebook and began to write her heading.Meanwhile,Mr. Rydell passed out the pop quizzes,2 sheets stapled to one another,5 to a row.As soon as everyone received their tests,they all started to write.It was sort of eerie to Helga,seeing her pencil and Arnold's were scraping their papers back and forth in unison.She glanced over at her football-headed love god,smiling dreamily in a trance."Ehem!"Mr. Rydell cleared his throat,glaring at Helga."May I ask,just why are you staring at Arnold,Helga?"Helga tugged nervously at her shirt collar,sweat drops rolling down her face."Um...I wasn't cheating,Mr. Rydell!Honest!""Oh,really?"Mr. Rydell replied."Then,I supposed you're in love with the boy?"Helga could hear loud snickers scattering across the room.And they were all aiming at her.Arnold turned to look at Helga,but Mr. Rydell urged him not to.Arnold turned back around and continued to take the quiz.Great job,Helga!she thought angrily,sending herself a mental kick.Why don't you tell the whole 8th freakin' grade you're in love with the boy?You might as well,Mr. Ry-bozo already told the whole damn class!Helga looked down at her paper and was just about to continue her quiz,when Mr. Rydell signaled to stop."Alright,class,time's up.Pass up your quizzes to the head of the row you're in."Helga looked back at her paper and almost yelled out loud when she saw she'd only written three answers out of 25.Criminey!I'm having a bad day....Helga slapped herself as she collected the quizzes in her row and passed them in to the teacher.  
  
"Helga,I'd like to have a word with you,"Mr. Rydell quietly informed Helga,who,at the time,was staring at Arnold once again."Huh....oh,what did you say,sir?"Mr. Rydell shook his head,annoyed.In a harsher voice,he replied,"I'd like to have a word with you,Helga.Come up to my desk."Helga stuck out her tongue at Mr. Rydell as he turned around and walked to his desk.She got up and followed.  
  
"Helga...this is a very serious matter we're dealing with here..."Mr. Rydell droned,beginning to lecture Helga."Your grades are slipping dramatically,and I think I know what's distracting you..."He turned to look at Arnold,then looked back at Helga,who was busy staring at her shoes.Sadly,it was pretty much the only thing she could stare at besides Arnold."Ehem..."Mr. Rydell cleared his throat to get Helga's least bit of attention."Yes,Mr. Rydell....I'll do better next time..."Helga blurted out dully."Not just next time,Miss Pataki,all the time!I'm simply stunned at today's quiz score you got.You only filled in 3 out of 25 questions!And the answers were wrong too!"At this point,Helga glanced around the room,finding most of the class had lifted their heads and stared at her and Mr. Rydell's conversation.Only a few of them snickered,seeing Mr. Rydell had nearly yelled while he spoke.A little louder,you big lummox?!Helga thought to herself.What she didn't realized is that not only had she thought that,she had said it aloud as well.  
  
"WHAT did you say,Miss Pataki?"Mr. Rydell calmly,but annoyed,directed his words toward Helga.All of the kids in the class were now staring at her,their jaws dropped to the surfaces of their desks."Um...uh..er...n-nothing,sir..."Helga responded,trying to cover up the mistake she had made.Sadly,her attempt had failed."Come on,young lady,let's take a little trip down to the principal's office to settle this..."Mr. Rydell dragged Helga by her shirt collar out of the door and down the hall.The class could hear Helga's yells and pleads of innocence echo down the hall until there was nothing but silence and the slam of a door.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?"Principal Wartz questioned Helga,resting his elbows on his desk."I didn't do anyth--"Helga was cut off by harsh voices coming from Mr. Rydell."Helga insulted me,a fellow teacher,may I remind you,calling me a big lummox!"Principal Wartz glared at Helga for a moment,then returned to his normal self."Young lady,insulting a teacher is a violation of the school laws.I simply cannot allow that kind of behavior,and am going to have to call your parents."My parents,eh?Helga thought,this time,keeping it only in her mind.I wouldn't bother if I were you.My parents can't even afford to pay attention half the time!Principal Wartz picked up the phone and dialed Helga's number.Once it started to ring,he handed the phone over to Mr. Rydell."Hello?..."Bob picked up the phone,seemingly agitated."Yes...hello.This is Mr. Rydell,Helga's teacher...""Well,hurry up!I don't have all day,the 69ers and the Panthers are tied...."Mr. Rydell rolled his eyes at the remark.He could sense a couch potato anyday in his life."Well,Helga's grades have been dropping lately,followed by rude insults and constantly staring at Arnold,a boy in the same class.I called to tell you,you should do something about this,otherwise it will lead to sudden suspensions.""Uh huh....,"Bob lazily replied,"Well,I want to tell you something as well,Dullry.""Rydell,sir...""Yeah,whatever,listen.Don't go telling me how to raise my kids,you hear?Olga's just fine,and if you have a problem with her,you can just freakin' send her home..okay?!"Before Mr. Rydell had a chance to speak once again,Bob had hung up the phone.He looked over at Helga,who was once again staring at her shoes."Sigh...I guess it's off to Dr. Bliss with you..."Dr. Rydell led Helga out of the principal's office and back to her homeroom.  



	3. The Conversation

Swept Under The Rug  
by Angela Marcisak  
  
  
  
  
DISCLAIMER:(You know the drill!)I do not own Hey Arnold,and have nothing to do with owning it!This is just a harmless fanfic written by me,a harmless obsessed fan,so please,don't sue me!  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please don't harass me for making my chapters shorter!(If you notice,I apologize.)I just haven't have a lot of inspiration lately.Ever since 9/11's incident with the WTC and Pentagon,inspiration hasn't exactly came fluent lately.I'll try to lengthen the chapters as much as I can for now.Thanks!  
  
  
CHAPTER 3-The Conversation  
  
Helga walked up the stairs leading to the double doors of Hillwood Medical Center.Sitting on the stoop for a moment,she eyed the paper Mr. Rydell had given her to give to Dr. Bliss.It read,"Helga is having problems in school and with her manners.Please talk to her and try to help solve the problem.Mr. R""Heh,"Helga quietly chuckled to herself,shredding the note into tiny pieces of confetti."She doesn't need this.She practically knows me inside and out.Why does he think I can't tell her myself?This is what I'm here for,duh!"Helga walked inside the small building and soon found herself inside the office of her child psychologist,Dr. Bliss.She had been telling her her life story ever since she was nine,and couldn't believe she still had appointments.It had been four years total since the day she confessed to her her love for Arnold.Do I have THAT many problems?Helga thought to herself,shaking her head.  
  
"Hello,Helga!"Dr. Bliss merrily beamed.Well,at least one of us is in a good mood today,Helga thought to herself once again."Come sit down,you look tired.Is there something wrong?"Man,this lady can read me like a book...."Well,I'm tired,if that's where you're aiming..."Dr. Bliss sighed,shaking her head.She knew something was wrong with Helga.She didn't exactly look like she was just tired.There was something else going on,and who better to pick on it than Dr. Bliss?  
  
"Well,I can't exactly tell,Helga.How about talking to me instead of giving me a blank expression?"Helga sighed loudly,raising her hand to slap her face.She knew blank expressions wouldn't work with someone who prys into your business half the time."*sigh*Okay,it's been a strange day.Arnold kept staring at me weirdly,and--"Before she could continue,Dr. Bliss cut her off."Arnold stared at you?Maybe he likes you."Helga rolled her eyes,annoyed."No,not that kind of stare,the kind of stare you give the new kid when he walks in your class for the first time.""Oh,that kind....hmm...It seems kind of odd for Arnold to give you that kind of stare.You're no new kid,either.He's known you since preschool!"Helga looked at Dr. Bliss bluntly."No DUH."She looked at Helga with a bit of a mean look,a little offended by the reply."Well,Helga,I'm afraid I can't help you on this one.This kind of behavior leaves even me clueless."  
  
Helga looked surprisingly at Dr. Bliss.How could she not know?In Helga's eyes,Dr. Bliss knew everything.Well,not everything,but she usually knew her inside and out.Helga let out a deep sigh and laid on her back,staring blankly up at the ceiling."I'm sorry,Helga.It's just too puzzling for me to figure out.Even though I'm a psychiatrist,I don't know every person's behavior inside and out.Well.....except for you."Dr. Bliss gave off a small grin as Helga replied with a smirk.  
  
About an hour later,Helga's appointment was up.It wasn't much of a session at all that day;as a matter of fact,all Helga did was gripe about teenyboppers with Dr. Bliss and stare at the ceiling half the time.For some reason,the skies had turned dark since the topic of Arnold.It seemed like kind of a strange occurence to Helga,but she didn't think too much of the whole thing.She had outgrown the concept of superstition a while back,and she seemed to notice it was a stupid thing to worry about.After all,almost every day she would walk under a few ladders and pick up a few black cats to give to Arnold's grandma for her collection.Other than that,she really didn't suspect anything too weird about the weather.  
  
Dr. Bliss looked down at her watch,which read 3:00 PM."All right,Helga.Your session is over.It's time to go."Dr. Bliss escorted Helga to the front door of her office and handed her an umbrella."Here,you might need this."She smiled back at Helga and patted her on the shoulder.Helga smiled meekly back at Dr. Bliss and walked out of the building.  
  
As soon as she was outside,Helga walked down the sidewalk,peering up at the smoke-gray sky.She could feel several raindrops pelt her nose,and soon the light drizzle became an enormous downpour.Dragging her umbrella down the sidewalk,she arrived at a dark damp alley with a fence on the opposite side.*shivers*Man,it's cold....How was I supposed to know I should've brought a raincoat?They never said anything about a storm,unless 'sunny and no clouds' means something different....Oh well.I better whip out the old umbrella.Helga was just about to open her bright yellow umbrella when a brown dog ran up to her and began to bark loudly.Geez...for some strange reason,this seems awfully familiar...Helga thought.Before she knew it,the dog grabbed one end of her umbrella and began to yank it hard."Whoa!"Helga yelled,lunging forward,trying to maintain her balance and her umbrella as well.Sadly,her actions had failed,and she went flying forward into a giant puddle of mud.The dog ran off into the darkness of the alley,kicking water at Helga as it walked.She struggled to get up and start walking,not wanting to slip and fall into the puddle again.Finally,Helga stood up and walked out of the alley,her clothes splattered with huge blotches of mud and water.Stupid mutt...She pulled out a comb and began to run it through her hair when she felt something...different.What the...?Something's not right here...Helga pulled out a mirror and gasped at what she had saw.  
  
Her hair was no longer pink.The rain had drained her hair of all the dye,and the remains of it were dripping fuchsia all over the flooded sidewalks.Criminey....I knew that dye was cheap.....What happened next made Helga sink to her knees in shock.Her now shoulder-length blonde hair was parting into what seemed like even pigtails.Oh..my...gosh...what the....?W-why do I have pigtails all of a sudden?This is too weird...Helga reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled garment of clothing.Her pink bow!Didn't I get rid of this?I probably had a spare....but still,I thought I had gotten rid of all my bows....Oh well.Might as well wear it,I look like a moron without it....Helga tied the pink bow to her hair and walked gloomily down the sidewalk.  
  
Man,has this been a lousy day!First,some dumb mutt comes along and steals my umbrella,and then I get mud all over my nice new outfit,and finally,all the dye comes out of my pink hair!I don't want to look like a little schoolgirl again....Helga sighed loudly,pulling out her mirror and staring deep into her reflection."What do I see?"she said aloud to herself."I see a lonely thirteen year old girl with no friends except Phoebe.A girl who never outgrows the color pink.A girl who's had the same crush for four years in a row.I see a bully,yet a shy sensitive being underneath a shield.I see....me."Helga stared back at her reflection,tears running down her face.Slowly,she could see the image of her 13-year old self turn to the nine year old she was back then.Putting down her mirror,sniffing loudly,she gasped at who stood in front of her.  
  
It was Arnold.Had he heard all I said?I hope he doesn't have a clue who I'm crushin' on....oh,who am I kidding?He's still the same dense boy I've known all my life,and probably always will be."Helga?"Arnold tapped her on the shoulder,a bright blue umbrella in the other hand."Huh?"Helga shook her head,clearing her mind of any previous thoughts that occupied it."You looked like you spaced out.Are you okay?""Y-yeah,I'm fine..."Helga slapped herself for being such a fool.Nice job,bonehead!Arnold held his blue umbrella over Helga and himself."You look nice with your bow.How come you never wear it anymore?"Helga thought to herself,"Now I know I've heard of this scenario before!If only I could remember..."Oh,I don't know.Guess I just got used to shorter hair,seeing when I was ten,Bob shaved it short."Arnold winced a bit at the thought of the subject."Yeah,I remember that....well,do you wanna go for a walk?I'm kinda bored.Grandma's piano is rusty,so I can't really play any songs."Helga stood there for a moment,trying to make up her mind whether or not she should go with him.Of course you should,doy!It's not every day your crush asks you to go for a walk....Okay,that sounded kinda stupid....Helga shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head."Sure,I guess so.I'm pretty bored too.It's always good to have some company around."Helga and Arnold walked together down the road and passed a few roads for what seemed like an hour,talking about their separate days.They went on and on chatting about their families and things of that sort.It seemed like the longest conversation to ever commence between Helga and Arnold in their history of knowing each other.  
  
A little while later,the two arrived at the front of the Sunset Arms boarding house."What are we doing here?"Helga asked,a little clueless of why Arnold would ever bring her over to his house."I'm just going inside to get another umbrella for you to use,so each of us can have one.Wanna come in?"Helga knew this was a good opportunity for her to open up a little and have some fun around Arnold for a change.Fun really wasn't something that occured often in Helga's world."Sure,what the heck."Helga followed Arnold up the stairs to the front door.As Arnold opened it up,tons of loud noises erupted from within the household,dozens of confetti bags falling from the ceiling;all of this nearly knocked Helga off her feet and onto the sidewalk."SURPRISE,HELGA!"the tons of people shouted merrily from the boarding house hallway.Helga stepped inside,totally clueless as to why people whould throw her a party."W-what's going on?"she meekly asked the crowd of guests.The whole PS 118 gang was present,including the boarding house members(Mr. Hyunh,Ernie,Oskar,Suzy,Grandma,and Grandpa)and even Helga's parents,all wearing decorative party hats for the occasion."Why are you guys throwing me a party?What's happening?"Helga was pushed to the limit of curiosity,and stood frozen,wondering what the ruckus was all about.  
  
"Oh,Helga,dear...don't you know?"Miriam sleepily added,a pina colada resting in her left hand.  
"Don't know what?"Helga asked.  
"Helga...we've got great news!!!"Bob shouted excitedly.  
"What?!?What IS IT??"Helga yelled at the top of her lungs,nearly bursting with ideas crowding her mind.  
  
Bob and Miriam smiled at each other,then turned to Helga and began to speak.  
"We're moving!!!"  
  
Helga stood,temporarily paralyzed,at the words she had heard spill out of her parents' mouths.She turned to look at Arnold,tears slowly welling in her eyes.And there it was.The stare.The whole crowd had fell silent watching Helga on the verge of bawling her eyes out.Yet Arnold just stood,staring at Helga the whole time.The same stare he had on his face the day before.A tear rolled down his eye as Helga ran up to him and held him in a tight embrace.All that could be heard for the next few minutes was the soft crying of Helga as she continued holding Arnold.And,all the while,he held her as well.  
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END CHAPTER 3 


	4. The Party

Swept Under The Rug  
by Angela Marcisak  
  
  
DISCLAIMER:(You know the drill!)I do not own Hey Arnold,and have nothing to do with owning it!This is just a harmless fanfic written by me,a harmless obsessed fan,so please,don't sue me!  
  
  
CHAPTER 4-The Party  
  
  
After three continuous minutes of holding Arnold in her warm embrace,Helga finally let go.Geez,I thought he would want to pull away a long time ago...she thought.Arnold looked at her with a small grin and rubbed his face with the sleeve of his sweater."Heh...sorry about that...I can be a little overemotional sometimes..."Helga stated shyly,a crimson blush spreading across her cheeks."It's okay,"Arnold replied."After all,this seems like a right moment to be emotional...don't you think?"Helga looked behind her and saw everyone had left the two.Bob,Miriam,the boarders,and the PS118 gang were too busy dancing and making small talk to put up with the display of mushiness Arnold and Helga were showing."Uh...yeah...*sighs,shaking her head*So,wanna go join the crowd?It's a little boring just standing here."Helga declared.Heck,it must be boring if we're the only ones...."Sure,let's go get something to eat.I'm starving!"Arnold and Helga walked over to the snack tables,laughing as they rubbed their stomachs in unison.  
  
What a Kodak moment!Helga thought to herself,smiling faintly.She was sitting on a side bench in midway conversation with Arnold,talking about how much she was going to miss everyone in Hillwood when she moves.Other than that,the party was in full swing.Rhonda and Nadine were tearing up the dance floor with their stylish moves,and Curly was being cheered on by many others for his talented show of breakdancing.Lila was sitting with Stinky and Gerald was occupying his own time by charming Phoebe."Man,some party,huh?"Helga added,glancing at Curly,who was putting on a helmet for his next breakdancing act."I wonder who put this all together...it was probably Phoebe.You know Phoebe,always doing good deeds for everyone..."Helga smiled dazily at the thoughtful act of kindness her best friend had given her.She knew it had to be her!I mean,come on,Helga thought,she's been my best bud for more than five years,it had to be her...Helga was interrupted by a comment by Arnold.He took a deep breath of air and began to speak.  
  
"It wasn't Phoebe,Helga.It was me."Helga looked at Arnold,a solemn,shocked look spread wide across her face."R-really?"Arnold silently nodded his head in response.Helga couldn't believe what she had just heard.Arnold?Throwing a party for her?Helga?"B-but why?"she shakily responded."I mean,after all the years I treated you lower than dirt,and you throw me a party?It doesn't...it doesn't make sense."Arnold stared at her for a few moments,trying to come up with the right answer for why he had committed such a kind deed.And there it was again.That stare.That's the third time I've seen him stare at me that way....but why?Arnold took another breath of air and started to speak once again."You see,Helga,ever since you've always been mean to me,I used to never understand why.I always used to think you never had an ounce of decency in you.But then I thought of all the nice things you've done for people,like how you found my hat for me,and how you helped us out by building a float.I realized,every person has a soul.Every person has feelings.And I know,you're not as tough on the inside as you are on the outside.Actually,I think you're a really nice person sometimes,and I like you for that.All you have to do is show it more often,and people will notice you more often too."Arnold smiled at Helga,but his smile faded away soon after.Helga sat there crying softly,several tears rolling down her cheeks."What's wrong,Helga?"Arnold put a hand on her shoulder for comfort."No one's e-ever done something this nice for me before...not even my parents..."Helga said,sniffing loudly.I need a Kleenex,she thought.Arnold looked at Helga,dumbstruck with curiosity."You mean...haven't your parents done anything nice for you?"Helga scoffed and turned her head."As if!They're always swooning over Olga.They never pay any attention to me,and Miriam,"Helga looked angrily at her smoothie-holic mom while she said this,"never even packs me a lunch for school.Always leaving me in the dust for Olga."Helga took a deep sigh and turned around and looked back at Arnold."But,what the hey,I guess I was just meant to be a loner all along,huh?"She wiped a few teardrops that had fallen from her eyes with the back of her hand."Helga,everyone has to be cared for.That's the way of life.There's always someone who cares about you,even if it's not your parents.I think it's downright cruel for them to treat you like that."Arnold took her hand and looked deep into Helga's eyes.Just then,Helga's heart began to flutter wildly like a cluster of butterflies in migration."Helga...I just want you to know,no matter what happens,or how far away you go,I'll always care about you.You don't have to worry,because I'll be keeping you in my heart.I sure hope you'll do the same,won't you?"Arnold looked thoughtfully at Helga while he said those very words.I can't believe it!she thought.Arnold actually cares about me!She felt her heart beat rapidly increase every second she looked into Arnold's eyes,and at the same time,hoped this wouldn't cause her to faint on the spot.Helga took a gasp of air,and with this,she said,"Sure,Arnold....you know I always will....."Arnold and Helga smiled at each other,then took a quick glance at the others enjoying the party.Curly was finishing up his breakdancing routine,receiving a round of applause from numerous people."Thank you very much,"Curly stated in his best Elvis impression.He walked over to the table and grabbed some punch.  
  
Meanwhile,Grandpa walked over to Brainy,who was currently running the position as DJ,believe it or not.Taking off his headphones,Brainy turned to look at Grandpa."Okay,Boony--""Uh...*wheeze*it's Brainy..."he corrected Grandpa."Sorry,Billy....anyways,could you by any chance play a love song for the kids?Arnold and the girl with the one eyebrow look like they need something to dance to.I haven't seen them on the dance floor all night long!"A pang of jealously shot through Brainy's heart like a bow and arrow.It's Helga,not the girl with one eyebrow!Brainy thought,giving Grandpa a thumbs up while putting on a CD.Man,does this guy need a new hearing aid....Brainy pushed a few buttons and the song began.The lights dimmed to a dark pink while the boombox played "This I Promise You" by *NSYNC.Arnold and Helga looked over to the dance floor and spotted few couples slow dancing to the music.Gerald and Phoebe looked like they were enjoying themselves,while Lila and Stinky stumbled quite a few times,quietly laughing at their inability to dance.Arnold nervously tugged at his collar a few times,and finally spoke to Helga."W-would you like to dance?"Helga's eyes popped wide open in surprise,staring shockingly at Arnold.A few moments later,she loosened up."Sure!I'd love to."  
  
Arnold and Helga walked over to the dance floor and held each other close while dancing."I'm having a really great time tonight,"Helga added,smiling happily at Arnold."I am too,"Arnold replied.The end of the song was nearing,whilst Brainy sat in the DJ box,sighing to himself.Well,here's my chance.Better late than never.Brainy stepped out of the box and walked down over to where Helga and Arnold were dancing."Uh...*wheeze*can I...uh...*wheeze*uh..."Helga smiled happily at Brainy,then to Arnold.He nodded his head assuringly and walked back over to the bench."Sure,Brainy,I'll dance with you."Helga and Brainy danced to the remainder of the song,Brainy's thoughts trailing away for miles.The song went on:  
  
"And I will take you  
In my arms  
And hold you right  
Where you belong  
Till the day my life is through  
This I promise you  
Ooh,I promise you..."  
  
The song had finally ended,and the lighting effects had returned to normal."Thanks,Brainy...you're a good dancer."Helga gave him a small kiss on the cheek.With that,Brainy collapsed on the floor."Well,I guess Brainy's got a little crush on ya,Helga!"Stinky replied,dragging Brainy into the kitchen to search for an ice pack.Helga smiled and shook her head,then walked back over to Arnold.They talked for the remainder of the party.  
  
A few hours later,everything was coming to a close.Rhonda,Sheena,Nadine,and the rest of the gang thanked Arnold for the party he had thrown,and left soon after.Curly was the last one to leave,seeing he had to apply an ice pack to his head.Apparently,something had been wrong with his helmet,and a large lump was growing on the surface of his scalp."Thanks,Arnold,great party...."Curly rubbed his head in pain,then left the party in a hurry for more ice.All who were left at the boarding house were Arnold and Helga."Arnold....I..want to thank you so much..for what you did...it was really sweet of you.."Helga stared down at her shoes shyly,not wanting to go overboard with her emotions as she had done earlier."No problem,Helga.I was glad to do it.I'm glad you had a great time.""Oh yeah,"Helga added,"One more thing before I forget.I--"She was cut off by Bob and Miriam yelling at her from outside the door."Come on,Olga!We gotta go home and pack!Tomorrow we're leaving!"Helga looked at her parents wide-eyed,tears slowly welling in her eyes."T-tomorrow?!""Yeah,tomorrow!Now,hurry up and say bye to Alfred!"Helga looked back at Arnold,tears rolling down her cheeks.Arnold wiped the tears from her eyes,and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.He knew exactly what she was going to say."Don't worry,Helga...everything will be fine...I'll round up everyone to meet you at the airport tomorrow.We wouldn't want to leave you without one final goodbye."Helga smiled faintly and hugged Arnold tightly."Thanks,Arnold..."she whispered in his ear.He was about to return the gesture when Helga's parents beeped the horn numerous times,urging Helga to get in the car."I..I gotta go."she quietly mentioned to Arnold."I'll see you tomorrow...."Helga ran out the door and jumped in the Pataki family car.She faintly smiled and gave a wave to her football-headed friend.After that,she had gone home.  
  
Arnold took a deep sigh and walked up the hallway to his room's entrance."Where ya goin',shortman?"Grandpa sounded after him."To my room,Grandpa."Arnold opened the door,walked in,and slammed it shut.He grabbed the remote to his new age room and tuned his radio in to some music.He usually preferred jazz,but wasn't really in the mood today.He put it on a pop channel and flopped down on his bed,awaiting the song that was to be played next.Surprisingly,it was *NSYNC once again.I've heard too much of *NSYNC for one day....Arnold thought.He was about to change the channel,when he heard the songs beautiful melody.Might as well listen to the lyrics...He laid on his back and began to listen.  
  
"There's a thousand words that I could say  
To make you come home  
Seems so long ago you walked away   
And left me alone  
Now I remember what you said to me  
You've been actin' so strange  
And maybe I was too blind to see  
That you needed a change  
  
Was it somethin' I said  
To make you turn away  
To make you walk out and leave me cold?  
If I could just find a way  
To make it so that you were right here  
Right now  
  
I've been sittin' here  
Can't get you off my mind  
I've tried my best to be a man and be strong  
I've drove myself insane wishin' I could touch your face  
But the truth remains you're gone...."  
  
Arnold wanted to listen to the rest of the song,but just couldn't.It was too powerful,too overwhelming.Why was there always a song for every moment?This song reminded him too much of Helga.It was true.He couldn't get her off his mind.He wished he was there to touch her face.But at least she wasn't gone yet.Not until tomorrow....  
  
Arnold sighed deeply,burying his face in his pillow.He softly cried himself to sleep.Though he didn't know why....  
  
  
END CHAPTER 4 


	5. Final Goodbyes

Swept Under The Rug  
by Angela Marcisak  
  
  
DISCLAIMER:(You know the drill!)I do not own Hey Arnold,and have nothing to do with owning it!This is just a harmless fanfic written by me,a harmless obsessed fan,so please,don't sue me!  
  
AUTHOR's NOTE:Since this is the final chapter,I'm making it the longest!^_^You CAN read fast,can't you?^_^ Anywho,I've decided,I'm going to make a sequel.I'm still having a little trouble deciding how the plot should go,so bear with me as I try to get the first chapter of the sequel started.~Angie~  
  
  
CHAPTER 5-Final Goodbyes  
  
  
"Beep!Beep!Beep!"Helga's new digital alarm clock chimed.This time,she pressed the snooze button rather than knocking it off of her nightstand.She had been scolded the last time she had done that.Helga sat straight up,sleepily rubbing her eyes."*yawn*Man,what a dream...."She turned to look at her alarm clock and gasped.It read,"9:00 AM"."Criminey!"Helga scowled."Why does Miriam always set my clock back an hour?I wanted to sleep...."She tried burying her face in her pillow,but it was no use.She was wide awake.  
  
Helga let out a loud sigh,rolling off her bed and onto the floor."They even took my bedsheets..."She looked over at the corner of her room and found piles upon piles of boxes lined on top of one another."I hope they haven't packed all my clothes,"Helga thought to herself.She walked over to her bureau and pulled open each and every drawer.Nothing.She walked over to her closet and opened it up.Nothing."Grrr....."Helga growled,clenching her fists tightly.She looked at one of the boxes stacked deep within the pile in the corner.It read 'CLOTHES' in bold italic letters,and was covered with a heavy layer of duct tape.In fact,such a heavy layer that the only words she could actually see on cardboard were 'CLOTHES',and that was it."Man..."Helga let out a deep sigh,flopping down onto the floor."I couldn't cut that box open myself even if I had a butcher's knife...*sigh*Bob...Miriam...why must you do this to me???"  
  
About an hour later,Helga arrived at school for her very last day.Her hair was frizzled in most parts,her clothes wrinkled and partially mangled,and a tired look was spread across her face.She took a seat next to Phoebe and gave a depressed sigh."What's wrong,Helga?Are you tired?"Phoebe asked curiously."Nah..."Helga answered in a slurred voice,"My mom and dad taped a ...box with all my clothes in ...it,and I couldn't cut it...open..so,I headbutted it...darn box..."Helga collapsed exhaustedly on her desk.Phoebe looked at Helga concerned,then turned forward and raised her hand."Mr. Rydell?"she politely asked the teacher,clearing her throat."May I take Helga to the nurse?""Sure,Phoebe..."The whole class turned to Helga,staring strangely as she was dragged unconsciously out of the room by her best friend.  
  
Helga woke up an hour later and found herself lying in the nurse's office.She had been resting on a small bed,you know,the kind that are cold and hard,and sometimes smell like old socks.She tried not to describe the details,though she hardly had anything better to do.In the meanwhile,Helga tried to recollect what had made her end up at the nurse in the first place."Oh yeah,now I remember...man...what was I doing?..."She stared blankly up at the ceiling when a large figure appeared before her eyes,apparently shaped like a taco."Aaah!"Helga screamed,clutching her chest in fear."Arnold!Don't do that to me!You tryin' to give me a heart attack?"She let out a deep sigh,and her hands rested at her sides as they had been earlier."S-sorry Helga!Are you okay?""Yeah,I-I'm fine..."Helga looked up at Arnold with a small grin on her face."Why,do you WANT me to have a heart attack so I can stay in Hillwood?"Helga joked.She turned away from him momentarily,expecting a somewhat positive answer to come."Well,you got the 'staying in Hillwood' part right..."Arnold sighed.Helga's humor turned to a dead solemn face as she turned back around and looked Arnold in the eye."Y-you really mean that?"Arnold looked back at Helga with a bit of a smile."Of course.Hillwood won't be the same without you."His face moved closer to Helga's,nearly centimeters away from touching her lips;their eyes still locked in a trance none of them were able to look away from.Helga didn't know what to think.She just sat there,sweatdrops rolling unnoticeably down the side of her face."Oh my god...is Arnold...trying to kiss me?"When Arnold was less than a pinky's length away from what could've been a possible kiss,the intercom boomed with the loud voice of Mr. Rydell."Ow!"Helga exclaimed,jerking straight up from the bed in which she had slept."Helga Pataki and Arnold....hmm..can't seem to make out his last name...but Helga and Arnold,please report to your classes at once!"Mr. Rydell loudly yelled into the intercom,then briefly hung up."Wh-what am I doing?"Arnold thought to himself."I almost kissed Helga Pataki.But I didn't.Though,why was I going to?This all doesn't make sense.Things are happening way too fast.One day,me and Helga are talking,and the next day,she's moving in less than five hours.I'll never even see her again..."Arnold let out a deep sigh,and looked at Helga,who was apparently staring back at him,mentally reciting some pink book poetry to herself.She smiled nervously at Arnold,then broke the awkward silence."So...what are you thinking about?"Arnold widely stared at Helga for what seemed to be a short moment,then responded."Nothing...""You're thinking about something,aren't you?"Arnold didn't want Helga to get any ideas of what he had been thinking about,even though there was no humanly way possible she could know,so he brusquely changed the subject."We'd...better get going upstairs now..."Arnold pulled Helga off of the bed and,holding her hand all the while,walked her upstairs back to their class.  
  
"Class,if you would...there's an announcement I need to make..."Mr. Rydell shouted,clutching an earlier thrown paper airplane in his left hand."Class...class..."He looked around the room,loud conversations being told from both sides of the room.He took a deep breath and opened his mouth."CLASS!!!!"The whole room fell strangely silent;so silent,that Curly drpped his Wankyland pencil,and even that could be heard amongst the quiet cluster of teenagers."That's more like it...ehem....anyways,as most of you already know,a fellow classmate is moving away today.That classmate is Helga Pataki.I would very much appreciate it if you would show some sympathy for her,as she will be moving far away to...uh,where was it,Helga?"Helga boringly looked at Mr. Rydell."France,"she uttered loudly."Yeah,right,"she thought to herself,"Even if I am moving to France,I bet you any amount of money not even half the class is gonna show up at the airport today.Just watch."Mr. Rydell shook his head solemnly."Yes,class,Helga is moving to France.And I hope some of you will keep in contact with her,or at least show up at the airport today at 3:00 for a final goodbye.Helga has left her future address with us so any of you may write her a letter when you'd like.I'm sure she'd love to hear from all of you,wouldn't you,Helga?"Helga stared back bluntly at Mr. Rydell."Yes,sir,I'd REALLY like that."she stated both flatly and sarcastically."If Harold writes me,he's toast."Helga thought to herself,smiling at the idea of sending Harold back some old fashioned dynamite as a going away gift.She shook her head and stared back down at her desk."Well,Helga,I assure you,we all will very much miss y--"Mr. Rydell was cut off by a loud noise at the door.Big Bob burst in the classroom,eyeing Helga angrily."Olga,get in the car,pronto!We gotta load the moving van in the next hour.Then we'll be leaving for the airport.Say goodbye to the teacher and let's get going!"Helga furiously got up out of her seat and walked over to the teacher,patting him on the shoulder."Goodbye,Mr. Rydell!"she harshly stated,turning to walk out of the classroom.Her angry expression turned to a sad one as she saw Arnold's face.He looked more bummed than ever before.She gave him a small wave and walked back out of the classroom."Only about three more hours,"she sadly thought to herself,glumly stepping down a long flight of stairs."Only three more hours...."  
  
  
  
Helga stood outside next to a large U-Haul van.She had lugged her last box of stuff out to the car,containing most of her many treasured poetry books.She wanted to read as many of them as she could on her way to the airport,though she didn't exactly know why.Helga knew it would only cause her more heartbreak and emotion,but she didn't care.No one seemed to care anyways.Besides,it was only a little more heartbreak added on to all she had received so far,which,in any other person's eyes,was a lot.Nonetheless,she found it to be completely harmless.Helga sighed deeply and looked back at the house in which she had for so long lived in.The house in which she had been tormented.The room in which she had obsessed over Arnold all the time.The closet her shrine had sat from time to joyous time,wads of Arnold's used gum to a replica mask of his oddly-shaped head.The place where it all started.Would change be better for Helga when she was to live in France?Of course not.She was only kidding herself.She knew wherever she went,she would live with torment.Torment coming from not only her parents,but torment coming from the truth.The truth of knowing she most likely wouldn't ever see Arnold again.Never.  
  
"Come on,Helga,we're gonna be late!"Big Bob yelled,hopping into the family car."Wow...he actually got my name right,"Helga thought.She jumped in the car along with her poetry books,her treasured Arnold doll,and her even more treasured locket.With the slam of the back door and the truck driver's thumbs up,they were off to the airport."*sigh*I hope Arnold doesn't forget me..."Helga thought sadly to herself.She rested her head on the window and soon after,fell asleep.  
  
  
  
There she was.The airport.Helga stood at the gate with a handful of suitcases.Apparently,Bob and Miriam the smoothieholic were too lazy to do the job,so Helga did it for them.Frankly,she was growing tired of being their slave girl.She longed for Arnold's grandparents to adopt her.Helga scoffed with the very idea."Yeah...like THAT'S ever gonna happen...get ahold of yourself,girl!"She sent herself a mental kick,and took off to the building with her mom and dad.  
  
About a half an hour later,Helga sat in the waiting rooms,a suitcase sitting directly by her side.So far,it had been 3:30 and no sign of Arnold.Or Phoebe.Or any of the people from her class.It pained her heart witht he very thought that they didn't really care to show up.Maybe they couldn't bear to say goodbye,or maybe they were just too busy to pay some decent respect.Whatever it was,Helga was hurt.More hurt than she had ever been in her 13 years of living.More hurt than all the times Bob had called her Olga and all the times he had come home drunk and abused her.No one cared anymore.She sat in a slump in her gray armchair,letting her negativity get the best of her.It was no use to her anymore.She knew it all along.They weren't going to show up.  
  
About half an hour later,Helga heard the voice for which so long she had dreaded.Her flight had arrived."Flight number 232,one-way to Paris,France,has now arrived.I repeat,flight number 232 to Paris,France has now arrived."the announcer chimed merrily."How could she be so happy?"Helga thought."Well,it's not like that SHE gives a damn about anyone's feelings.Especially not mine.She doesn't know what it's like for someone to lose the one they love.She doesn't know how bad it feels to not get a chance to say goodbye."Helga clutched a letter she had been writing in the last half hour and got up.She grabbed her suitcase and walked towards the boarding gate,tears streaming down her saddened face,when she heard a voice call behind her."Helga!!!Wait!!!"It was Arnold.He had showed up.And so had Phoebe,Gerald,and the rest of the PS 118 gang.Arnold stood at the head of the group,desperately wanting Helga to return for her final goodbyes.She shook the tears that had fallen and faintly smiled,running back over to the group.Phoebe was the first one she hugged.What could she say?It was instinct.Phoebe was her best friend for nearly 10 years,and was always the one who had Helga's back.They embraced each other tightly,teardrops once again falling from the face of the two best friends."I'm gonna miss you so much,Helga..."Phoebe sniffed,wiping a tear from her eye."I'll miss you too,Pheebs....*sniff*Now you promise you're gonna keep in touch,right?"A faint smile spread across Helga's face."Sure thing,Helga,you know I will..."Phoebe backed away from Helga,allowing her to state her final goodbyes to the gang from PS118.  
  
  
"Guys...you know I'm gonna miss you all...*sniff*I'm sorry I can't hug each and every one of you,because I wouldn't have the time...but I'll always keep you in my heart...I promise...even you,Harold."Helga weakly smiled at Harold.He blushed slightly,stepping out of the crowd and towards Helga."Helga..*sniff*I saved this for you..."Harold rubbed a tear from his eye,handing Helga a half-melted Mr. Fudgy ice cream bar.She smiled back at Harold and replied with a shrill 'thank you'."I'm going to miss you guys so much..."Helga said to the gang,wiping a dry tear from her eye."I'll make sure I keep in touch."Helga looked over at Arnold,who dealt her the same stare he had given her for the past few days.The gang looked at the two knowingly,and walked away from them,Gerald supportingly hugging Phoebe,who was now crying her eyes out,staining the floor with her many tears.  
  
Helga and Arnold looked at each other solemnly for what seemed like forever,and about a minute later,Helga broke the silence,sighing deeply."Arnold...I'm sorry for all the torment I've put you through over the years...I was so wrong to ever mock you,call you names,and that sort of stuff.I hope you can find it somewhere in your heart to forgive me...you see...*sighing deeply*All this time...I've acted this way only because...only...because..."Helga stared back at Arnold for another endless moment.She couldn't say it.It was too hard.She turned away and headed for the boarding gate,only to be held back by Arnold."No,Helga...please tell me why...I'd really like to know...""Arnold...I-I can't....""Helga,can you please tell m--"Arnold was cut off by something he by far never would've expected.Helga turned around and embraced Arnold in a soft,strong kiss.This took Arnold completely aback.He didn't know what to think.Nor did he know what to do.He just stood there,kissing Helga."I can't believe it...."he thought."I'm kissing Helga...but strangely,I don't want to stop....why don't I want to,though?It's so strange...I actually kind of like kissing her...but why?I don't know....I wish I did...."Helga and Arnold continued kissing each other for a moment or two,then finally stopped,looking back at each other with mixed expressions.Just then,Helga's father called her name."Hey,Olga!Let's go,we're gonna miss our plane!"he yelled from the boarding gate,handing the attendant his boarding pass.Helga deeply sighed and pulled out the letter she had written fifteen minutes earlier,and handed it to Arnold.She patted his face and opened her mouth,her lips quivering with unhappiness."I'll never forget you,Arnold..."She smiled at him and turned to walk towards the boarding gate.Helga handed the attendant her boarding pass,and,looking one last time at Arnold,she was gone.  
  
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he walked over to a nearby armchair,the one in which Helga had been sitting.He sat down quietly and opened up the letter she had giver him.It read:  
  
"Dear Arnold,  
  
It's me,Helga.Look....I just wanted to apologize for all the times I was mean to you.I admit,I was wrong.Calling you names,mocking your oddly-shaped head,and most of all,hating you.Arnold...I really didn't hate you.The truth is,deep down,I'm a shy,sensitive girl.My bullyish figure was just a lie.I'm not a bully at all.As a matter of fact,I love to write poetry.I have so many poetry books,it's not even funny.I acted like a bully all this time because I'm vulnerable.I'm afraid of getting my heart broken,my spirits torn....my conscience trampled.I didn't mean to hurt you,Arnold,I'm completely honest.The truth is...Arnold...I love you.I've loved you all this time and never had the humanly nerve to tell you.I was so afraid you wouldn't like me back.I was so scared.I kept to myself all the time,writing endless poetry about my admiration for you.I even built a shrine to you using your used wads of gum!(I know,very weird.)But the point is,Arnold,this has been bottled up inside me for so long,I had to tell you in my letter.I wouldn't have had the time to tell you in person,so here it is.I love you.It was me who owned the pink book.I was Cecile.That poem the parrot told was from me.I was the one who convinced that guy to get Mr. Hyunh's daughter for him for you.I did it all.  
  
I know this is awkward and sudden,but I swear,every word of it is true.And I'm sorry for all I've done to hurt you.I didn't mean it.Believe me.I'm also sorry for not telling you sooner.My dad always tells me we Patakis keep things swept under the rug.I never wanted to,but I did.I hope we'll see each other someday...somewhere...but for now,I am off to France.I hope you'll at least write me letters.I'd love to keep in touch with you and all my friends back at PS118.But now,my time in America is up.The attendant says our flight just arrived.Arnold...you've been a true friend.I'll never forget you.Stay as true as you are today,and maybe we'll meet again someday....  
  
Dearest wishes,  
Helga Geraldine Pataki"  
  
  
Arnold was stunned.Completely stunned.All these years of his life,Helga has bullied him like there was no tomorrow.All because she was madly in love with the boy with the football-shaped head.He just couldn't face the music."What the...?"Arnold saw something sticking out of the side of the armchair.Pulling it out,he found the proof behind Helga's letter.It was a picture of him,put in a golden heart-shaped frame.He turned it over,and engraved in the side,a message read:"Arnold,My Dearest Love.Helga G. Pataki".He held the picture close to his heart and softly wept for a few minutes.He got up and was just about to leave with the PS118 gang when he saw Helga sadly waving from her plane window,mouthing those three little words:I Love You.Her hand pressed aginst the bulletproof windows as her plane took off down the rumway and into the sky.She was off to France.  
  
Tears ran down his cheeks as he turned to leave for the door."Hey,man...you okay?"Gerald put his hand on Arnold's shoulder for support."Yeah,Gerald...I'll be fine,I guess..."He wiped a tear with the sleeve of his sweater and headed out of the building.Arnold knew it.PS118 would never be the same again.  
  
"Disco inferno...yeah,yeah...disco inferno..."Grandpa sang along to his favorite oldie songs,preferably disco,as he and Arnold drove back to the boarding house in Grandpa's green Packard.Arnold weakly stared out the window,nothing wandered in his ming except for Helga.When they arrived back at the apartments,Arnold walked up the stoop to the front door,opened it up,and walked up to his room.He flopped down on his bed and pulled out the letter and the picture,placing them gently above his bed.Getting up and walking over to his closet,he grabbed a boombox and walked up the stairs to the roof.Arnold pulled open a lawn chair and sat in it,hooking up the boombox he had brought with him.He turned it on,searching for a decent song to listen to in his time of depression.Nothing was on but Three Doors Down,so he sat looking up at the stars until the song was over.Gazing up at the sky,he saw what appeared to be a cluster of gathered stars.Shaped like Helga.A shooting star shot over the rest,shining brilliantly bright.A tear rolled down Arnold's cheek as he saw this happen.He hadn't cried this much since he found out his parents were 'supposedly' passed away in the continent of Africa.And now,this had happened.Helga was gone out of his life for what he thought would be forever.He would never see her again,just as he never saw his parents again.He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes."Why,Helga....why did you have to go?"  
  
Just then,a song came on the radio.Arnold despised it greatly.He thought Macy Gray had a terrible voice,but decided to listen to the lyrics.Besides,all he ever listened to was jazz.He had never paid any great attention to the words of songs.He took a deep breath and turned the volume up a notch.  
  
"This is Nocturnal Ned,playing your favorite songs every night by request.Requesting a song tonight is Miss Helga Pataki from Hillwood.This was an earlier request,as she claims she would be moving away to France this very night.Helga requests,"I Try" by Macy Gray,and it goes out to Arnold....no last name given.She also told us to tell him that she will never forget him.So,here is "I Try" by Macy Gray,going out to Arnold in Hillwood."  
  
"Games, changes and fears  
When will they go from here  
When will they stop  
I believe that fate has brought us here  
And we should be together,babe  
But we're not  
I play it off, but I'm dreaming of you  
And I'll try to keep my cool, but I'm feenin'  
  
I try to say goodbye and I choke  
Try to walk away and I stumble  
Though I try to hide it, it's clear  
My world crumbles when you are not here  
Goodbye and I choke  
I try to walk away and I stumble  
Though I try to hide it, it's clear  
My world crumbles when you are not here  
  
I may appear to be free  
But I'm just a prisoner of your love  
And I may seem all right and smile when you leave  
But my smiles are just a front  
Just a front, hey  
I play it off, but I'm dreaming of you  
And I'll try to keep my cool, but I'm feenin'  
  
I try to say goodbye and I choke  
Try to walk away and I stumble  
Though I try to hide it, it's clear  
My world crumbles when you are not here  
Goodbye and I choke  
I try to walk away and I stumble  
Though I try to hide it, it's clear  
My world crumbles when you are not here  
  
Here is my confession  
May I be your possession  
Boy, I need your touch  
Your love, kisses and such  
With all my might I try  
But this I can't deny  
Deny  
  
I play it off, but I'm dreaming of you  
(but I'm dreaming of you babe)  
And I'll keep my cool, but I'm feenin'  
  
I try to say goodbye and I choke (yeah)  
Try to walk away and I stumble  
Though I try to hide, it's clear  
My world crumbles when you are not near  
(when you are not near aahh)  
Goodbye and I choke (yeah, yeah, yeah)  
I try to walk away and I stumble (hey, hey, hey)  
Though I try to hide it, it's clear (say it Lord)  
My world crumbles when you are not here...."  
  
  
Arnold opened his eyes,gazing back up at the starry skies,thinking deep."She...really does love me...."He eyed the picture of Helga formed by a cluster of stars,slowly fading away.Just then,a cluster of stars began to form the shape of Arnold and Helga,holding hands.He opened his mouth in amazement.A second shooting star shot across the sky.He put his hand over his mouth,yawning tiredly."What a day...."Arnold closed his eyes,going back to the moment where Helga mouthed those very words...."I Love You".A single tear rolled down his cheek and down onto the cold roof on which he lay.Arnold slowly drifted off to sleep,uttering those very words into the dark night skies."I love you too,Helga...."  
  
Helga was gone,that was true.Something else had been true as well.Her memories remained in the hearts of Phoebe,Brainy,and many others for many years to come.Especially Arnold.Yes,Helga was gone,but never had she been swept under the rug.  
  
~THE END~  



End file.
